Neek - The YNLC Newsletter

Issue No. 2

January 17, 2025

The Yukon Native Language Centre welcomes you to the YNLC Newsletter “Neek” – meaning News or To Tell in Tlingít.

The goal of Neek is to ensure Yukon First Nations, community partners, and the public stay connected and informed about the work YNLC is carrying out to uphold all Yukon First Nation languages. Within each issue, you will find updates on the language initiatives, programming, and projects that the YNLC is leading. Issues will include community spotlights, comics, audio links and more! 

Archives

YNLC Archive staff are working to develop archival policies to ensure that the Yukon First Nation language records are protected and accessible. The YNLC Archive contains material in all the different mediums and formats (audio/video/textual, etc.).

We are excited to continue our Listen, Hear Our Voices project that focusses on audio cassettes digitization and enhancing the quality. Two new Digitization and Audio Editing Technicians, Tyra Gill (SFN) and Nintsʼia Murphy (CAFN), have been hired and are jumping into their training! Prioritization of cassette digitization are based on lists of recordings prioritized by Yukon First Nations. We are also excited to start working with other recordings, such as noun dictionaries and books. In addition to audio cassette digitization, we plan to commit time to scanning transcripts that were created with the cassettes. This project is made possible through funding received through Libraries and Archives Canada.

Tyra Gill, one of YNLC’s Digitization and Audio Editing Technician, renaming digitized files to improve public access.

Myles Blattmann, Archivist & Nintsʼia Murphy, Digitization and Audio Editing Technician

YNLC Archives room housing textual and audio language content.

YNLC Archives Lucy Wren cassette tape.

Interested in accessing language archival recordings, texts, photos and more? Archival request forms can be found here: https://ynlc.ca/translations/#ynlc-archives-request-form

Archives catalogue can be requested by emailing [email protected] or drop by to talk to our archivist!

Read Along Storybooks

We are excited to share that we now have 21 YNLC storybooks in 6 different languages, which are available in a read-along format on our website! This means you will be able to listen to a speaker read the book as you follow along, with/without English subtitles.

Language specific books can be found in the Learning Resources section of the YNLC website under the Storybook section on each language page.

Access to the language resources: Learning Resources - Yukon Native Language Centre

If you’re interested in creating your own read-along book, check out the written instructions under the Teaching Resources bar on the YNLC Website. In addition, we will soon have an instructional video to help walk you through the process!

If you notice any typos as you follow along, please email Abigial Turner, Language Resource Officer at: [email protected]

A Project in Progress

The Robert Munsch translation project is finally nearing completion! We currently have 17 books, in 4 languages (Tlingit, Kaska, Southern Tutchone and Northern Tutchone) that are in various stages of the design process, with a number of others in the vetting process.

Elder Keyishi Bessie Cooley translating a book into Tlingit.

Robert Munsch I Love You Forever in Tlingit.

The Robert Munsch project partners include First Nation of Na-Cho Nyäk Dun, Champagne and Aishihik First Nation, Little Salmon Carmarcks First Nation, Carcross/Tagish First Nation, Liard First Nation, Kluane First Nation and Selkirk First Nation.

Meet our Staff

Abigail Turner

Language Resource Officer

Yagee Kadáan łdakát yeewháan, Hello Everyone,

Chʼáakʼ Yádi yóo x̱at duwasáakw Lingít x̱ʼeináx̱ ḵa Abigail áyá ax̱ saayi dléit ḵaa x̱ʼéináx̱. My name in Tlingit is Chʼáakʼ Yádi and Abigail in English. Gusʼkʼiḵwáanx̱ ḵa Daḵlʼawéidi áyá x̱at. I am European & Tlingit, part of the Daḵlʼawéidi clan. Deisleen Ḵwáandáx̱ yei x̱at yatee ḵu.a Kwalinxʼ ḵux̱a.oo yeedát. I come from the Teslin people but live in Whitehorse right now. 

I started working for YNLC as part of the Youth Today Language Leaders Tomorrow program in 2021, studying Łingít Yóo X̱ʼatángi. My position as Language Resource Officer began part-time in January 2024, moving to full time this past September. Although I am still learning the ins & outs of my role here, I am keen to help support the creation and improve the accessibility of language resources across the Yukon. Please reach out to me if you have any questions about existing resources or any ideas for resources you’d like to see created!

Myles Blattmann

Archivist

Sratthegan uuzhi, Myles Blattmann uuzhi hų guchan kʼi. Ezhet Yukon Native Language Centre zhu edisile, tsʼen Archivist ichi. Iyelan tage cho hudan tsʼin yachi. Dän kʼi eju si husi tsʼen ditthak hų. Mahsi cho ke sedintthak.

Upcoming Dates to Note:

January 2025: 100-Hour Intermediate MAP starts

January 21-23, 2025: MAP Train-the-Trainer

February 3 - April 10, 2025: Kaska Level 3 (Online)

For more information on these events, contact [email protected]

Neek Issue 1 can be viewed here: https://ynlc.ca/newsletter/